1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reservoir assembly for retaining a fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reservoir assemblies are commonly used in a number of applications to retain a fluid. In one application, such as a vehicle power steering system, a reservoir assembly is used to hold a pre-determined quantity of a hydraulic fluid. Typically the reservoir assembly includes an outlet port for communicating the hydraulic fluid to a power steering pump and an inlet port that permits the return of the hydraulic fluid from the power steering gear. Reservoir assemblies commonly use baffles to help control fluid dynamics such as aeration, sloshing or air flow anomalies that can result from vehicle maneuvers such as turning, stopping and acceleration. A common solution to these problems involves ensuring that the outlet port and inlet port are constantly immersed in the hydraulic fluid by including a supply of the hydraulic fluid in the reservoir assembly deep enough to cover the ports under all circumstances. This can require a larger volume of fluid, and consequently a larger reservoir assembly than is practical in many applications. An example of such an assembly is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2005/0092375 A1 to Kim. The reservoir has a plurality of inner walls for creating compartments within a cavity. An upper compartment for retaining the hydraulic fluid extends well above the lower compartments housing the inlet port and the outlet port.
Although there are numerous examples of reservoirs, these examples do not address applications where packaging must be compact because of limitations in space while not compromising performance. An opportunity exists to provide an effective and efficient fluid reservoir which uses smaller packaging, uses less fluid, and is practical to manufacture.